1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a camera having a flexible circuit board. More particularly, the present invention relates to a camera having a flexible circuit board in which connection to circuit elements is improved in consideration of reducing a manufacturing cost.
2. Description Related to the Prior Art
A camera is provided with an auto-focus mechanism, a power zoom mechanism, an auto-winding mechanism and the like. To control various mechanisms, plural electronic circuits are incorporated in the camera. A type of the camera for use with a IX 240 type of a photo film cassette is provided with a reader for reading data from a data disk of the photo film cassette, a magnetic head for reading data from, and writing data to, a magnetic recording layer of the photo film, and the like. At least one flexible circuit board is incorporated in the camera, adapted to mounting of various electronic parts to constitute a control circuits of various types. The flexible circuit board is flexed and inserted in small spaces defined in the camera.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,784,660 (corresponding to JP-A 8-122906) discloses the camera for use with the photo film cassette of the IX 240 type. A cassette holder chamber of the camera is loaded with the photo film cassette upon movement of the photo film cassette in its axial direction through a lower or upper face of the camera. The camera does not have a back lid provided in the camera of a type for use with 135 type of the photo film cassette. Thus, a pressure plate is secured to the camera body behind an exposure aperture for supporting a back surface of the photo film. The pressure plate is provided with various electric parts, circuits, the flexible circuit board, a liquid crystal display panel and the like.
The camera of a known type includes the flexible circuit board for a main use and a plurality of flexible circuit boards for auto-focus, shutter and the like. Those are connected to one another inside the camera. This has a problem in cause a rise in the cost. Also, failure is likely to occur in electrical contact between the flexible circuit boards. There is no known suggestion of optimizing disposition of electronic parts on the flexible circuit boards. This is inconsistent to an idea of reducing a size of the camera, because sizes of the flexible circuit boards are not reduced.
In a manufacturing line for the camera, a focal length of the lens, performance of a shutter and the like are inspected. To this end, inspecting beam is introduced through the lens, and received and evaluated in the position of the exposure aperture. If the camera is for use with the IX 240 type of the photo film cassette, the pressure plate must be removed from the rear of the camera body before the camera can be inspected. However, there is no known technique of keeping the main flexible circuit board movable together with the pressure plate. It is impossible to prevent disconnection of the flexible circuit boards, or to prevent removal between a plurality of the flexible circuit boards.
In view of the foregoing problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a camera having a flexible circuit board in which connection to circuit elements is improved in consideration of reducing a manufacturing cost by optimizing disposition of the circuit elements.
In order to achieve the above and other objects and advantages of this invention, a camera includes a camera body for being loaded with photo film. A feeder mechanism is incorporated in the camera body, includes a feeder motor, for feeding the photo film. A motor driver IC drives the feeder motor. A control unit controls the feeder motor by use of the motor driver IC. A main flexible circuit board has an upper board portion and a rear board portion, the upper board portion being located on an upper side of the camera body, and provided with the motor driver IC disposed thereon, the rear board portion extending from the upper board portion, being located behind the camera body, and being provided with the control unit disposed thereon.
The upper board portion projects from a portion of an upper edge of the rear board portion.
Furthermore, a pressure plate is disposed behind the camera body, has a front surface and a rear surface, the front surface supporting the photo film, the rear surface having the rear board portion secured thereto.
The photo film includes a magnetic recording layer. Furthermore, a magnetic head is secured to the pressure plate, connected with the rear board portion, controlled by the control unit, for magnetic recording of information to the magnetic recording layer.
Furthermore, an operation member is disposed outside the camera body. At least one contact point is turned on/off by the operation member, to input a signal to the control unit, the contact point being provided in the rear board portion. A display panel is connected with the rear board portion, for visibly indicating information outside the camera body.
Furthermore, a battery chamber is formed in an upper portion of the camera body, for being loaded with a power source battery for supplying the main flexible circuit board with power.
The camera body includes a cassette holder chamber for being loaded with a photo film cassette having the photo film. A take-up chamber takes up the photo film from the photo film cassette in a roll form. An exposure aperture is formed between the cassette holder chamber and the take-up chamber and in front of the pressure plate, for creating a frame in the photo film. The upper board portion is disposed on an upper side of the cassette holder chamber.
Furthermore, an auxiliary circuit board is secured to a front side of the camera body. The main flexible circuit board further includes a front board portion extended from the upper board portion toward the front side of the camera body, and connected with the auxiliary circuit board.
The auxiliary circuit board is a shutter control flexible circuit board for shutter releasing.
Furthermore, a cassette detecting flexible circuit board is disposed behind the camera body, connected with the main flexible circuit board, for detecting operation of a photo film cassette having the photo film. A flash control printed circuit board is disposed on the front side of the camera body, for flash emitting operation. A flash connection flexible circuit board is disposed on the upper side of the camera body, for connecting the flash control printed circuit board with the main flexible circuit board. An auto-focus control flexible circuit board is disposed on the upper side of the camera body, connected with the main flexible circuit board, for rangefinding operation.
According to another aspect of the invention, a camera includes a camera body for being loaded with photo film. An exposure aperture is formed in the camera body, for creating a frame in the photo film. A pressure plate is disposed behind the exposure aperture, has a front surface and a rear surface, the front surface supporting the photo film. A main flexible circuit board is secured to the rear surface of the pressure plate. An auxiliary circuit board is secured to the camera body. A belt-shaped connector connects the auxiliary circuit board to the main flexible circuit board, the belt-shaped connector having a length higher than an interval between the auxiliary circuit board and the main flexible circuit board, for keeping the auxiliary circuit board connected to the main flexible circuit board with looseness when the pressure plate is removed from the camera body.
The belt-shaped connector has a folded shape or has a shape being bent back.
The belt-shaped connector is disposed at least partially under the camera body.
Furthermore, a taking lens introduces object light to the photo film. A zoom mechanism includes a zoom driving motor, for zooming the taking lens. A zoom sensor is connected with the auxiliary circuit board, for detecting a rotational position of the zoom driving motor.
Furthermore, a feeder mechanism is incorporated in the camera body, includes a feeder motor, for feeding the photo film. A feeder sensor is connected with the auxiliary circuit board, for detecting a rotational position of the feeder motor.
The belt-shaped connector is an extension extending from the auxiliary circuit board.
In a preferred embodiment, the belt-shaped connector is previously separate from the main flexible circuit board and the auxiliary circuit board.